Under Your Control
by Risque Tendencies
Summary: When humans in the Tokyo area begin to act strangely, the world becomes a frightening place, one where the GoM must come together once more to put an end to the menace. Adult characters, Multiple Ships, BL.


**A/N**: Anyway, this is my first story for this fandom. Please let me know if at any time I screw up anyone's characterization. I want to get it right, so feedback is appreciated as a means to reach that goal. The plot I have here will soon become apparent. All I'll say for now is that the characters are all _adult-aged_ and living in Tokyo. Incidents begin to occur and they will need to figure out who is behind it and how to put an end to the criminal activity.

This fic showcases many shippings, but _most_ of them are yaoi, just fyi.

**Chapter Warnings**: Male x male smut, rimming.

**Cast for this chapter**: Midorima, Takao, & Akashi. (Brief) mention of Miyaji.

* * *

**Chapter I:** Non semper erit aestas.

"_It will not always be summer_"

* * *

Verdant irises narrowed slowly, a mask of gathering frustration showing beautifully on one Midorima Shintarou's visage.

The former star shooter was not truly irritated by their line of conversation, but he felt it only appropriate to don such a face during a debate. He couldn't allow himself to seem frivolous, after all, by displaying the excitement of a child. Even if that was how his heart felt on the inside. He was a man of twenty-eight years of age now; the time for such was long past if he'd ever had that sort of personality to show it.

Shintarou leveled this formidable gaze at his partner in the talk, earning an obnoxious grin as his reward.

"Hands down, it has to be ultrasound that's the best way to image. It's got everything beat in that nothing else can do video clips of people's insides. Your CT can only produce a still image, so, just give up already Shin-chan, and admit my job's the coolest."

"That may be so," a dignified pause lingered, "however, it lacks the ability to assess the skeleton. There is also a lack of immediately being able to determine the location of the picture. As the radiologist, we have to place faith in wherever you write that you're taking that shot. It leaves open a great deal of room for human error."

"Well, _you_ don't need to worry your pretty head about such things. Even if you couldn't count on me totally, you're not one to make mistakes. You can just use that big brain to figure out the mysteries in the picture. Fine, sure, we can't look at bones. Big whoop. We can see blood flow in real time though, and that's pretty good to know."

"I concede that much, it's useful for-"

"Not just that though!" Takao jumped on the minute opening he'd wedged into the conversation, "because you can use the technology for many other things than in our field. Automatic doors at the stores use ultrasound, underwater sonar's pretty comparable... hell, you can even speed up a chemical reaction with the right frequency wave!"

"Settle down," the green-haired countered, furrowing his eyebrows in a solemn way.

It wasn't as if he needed his opinion beaten into submission after all, and Takao was getting a bit rowdy for being in public. Midorima went back to the plate of food before him, carefully cutting out another bite of fish to feast on. Raising it to his mouth, he chewed as a silence dawned at their table.

It was their first free weekend together in a great stretch of time, and rather than go over the top, the couple had elected to have a quiet weekend in, instead. The eatery they were patronizing at the moment was in their same neighborhood, and other than going out for food, neither had any plans to leave their apartment. They'd never really needed too much outside revelry, anyway.

Midorima, though he wouldn't say such things aloud, was buzzing on all cylinders as far as the level of his excitement. Apart from this weekend, life was appearing more fortunate for the near future.

At a turning point in his medical residency, the heavens had granted his admission into that program at the hospital where the man sitting across from him was employed. Going into complementary career tracks was finally paying a dividend. They would be working alongside each other with a proximity they hadn't had since their last stint on the court.

Though it'd only be in a professional manner, he would be able to keep Takao well within his sight during the week. The idea of having that ability took a lot of the anxiety off the green-haired's shoulders. It was difficult being without Kazunari for too long; the man was his ultimate match and when they were apart, it felt like his life force faded by half.

Scorpios and Cancers were one of the most compatible sign pairings in the zodiac, after all.

"Yo, you'll never guess who I saw again the other day!" said scorpion announced a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Shintarou lifted his head to indicate he was paying attention, but didn't form any verbal acknowledgement as far as wanting to know whom the person was. Takao would tell him, that much he did not need any help predicting. The younger had such a penchant for flapping his gums that it was obvious he'd want to share more of the story. Judging by what he'd already said, it was going to be some news about someone Midorima knew, and that probably only thrilled his partner more to discuss. He wasn't above a little gossip.

"Miyaji-senpai! He came in with his wife, who I guess is pregnant. One of my co-workers did the scan, but he stopped in to chat with me. Well," the raven shivered slightly, "more like lecture than chat, but he is the scariest senpai after all! He wasn't happy that you didn't want to bandage him up when he came over the week before last. Told me I could pass along his sentiments to you, but I'm not sure I'd want to repeat them in public. Something about borrowing Kimura's pickup truck again and using it to.. well, you fill in the blanks."

"It is not wise to re-encounter the vehicle for which he ended up in that state. I would not recommend it."

Miyaji had come out to their condominium nearly two weeks prior with a half a foot long gash on one shin, claiming it was closer than finding an open clinic.

Shintarou hadn't been pleased with the man tracking blood all over their entryway floor, and he'd been even less willing to help once told the tale of how his senior had sliced open the limb to begin with. He had, ill-advisedly enough, taken a dare from another friend to see if he could jump over the bed of a truck to the opposite side of the car. He'd failed to complete the task, instead slamming himself down on one lip of the truck and lacerating deep into the skin of his right leg.

"I have no sympathy for someone who would willingly commit such moronic acts."

"Ouch! Poor senpai. Well, I guess at least he was able to get the help he needed in the end, after you chucked him out. Since he was still walking when he came in, that is."

Gray eyes sharply scanned for a reaction, but Midorima only deigned to shrug. This was all he had to say on the matter.

"Hey, what do you think? Should we go to that alumni game coming up? I heard from him that he's going to that one; I think all the other senpai are too. It might be fun to get the team back together, compare how much our skills have faded and all," Takao chattered, slightly deprecating. It was to be expected though, considering none of their solid five from Shuutoku had gone on to play professional ball.

As for college ball, they'd at least done that much more than their seniors, so perhaps they'd be a little better off.

Looking back, he was nonplussed the one sitting across the table from him had been able to balance the rigors of basketball training with his rather lofty major. Medicine was no joke after all, and there'd been many a time during those years when Kazunari had had to deal with the wrath of a Midorima who was stretched more than a little thin between his various obligations. In the case of his own major, it had been less daunting, thankfully.

"I don't see the point in it. Without practice, the skills _will_ have gone south. There's no need to quantify how much they've declined. And we see them enough as it is, just living in the area. I have no desire to increase that connection."

"Shin-chan really doesn't care about any of that at all, huh?" The slighter man chuckled, impishly amused at the green-haired male's utter disregard.

It was kind of endearing, the way Midorima's preferences in life were so marked. He paid no mind to anything or anyone he didn't care about, but was devoted on the point of obsessive about the things he did like. You had to admire him for cutting out the usual bullshit pretense that most people kept, pretending they were into anything society thought they should be concerned with, like keeping social lines open.

"You should know my preference by now."

"Ahh, you're right, I definitely should. Anyway," Takao interjected, drawing out the word, "I doubt you want to spend the whole day off yakking about work and old school stuff. I know I don't." He spiritedly forked a piece of steak, piling it in his open mouth, "Mm - so let's finish up and go home, 'kay?"

He was greeted with a faint nod, and past that, they both polished off the rest of dinner and paid before departing the restaurant. Getting home involved a short walk around the block, as they were centrally located, and that was soon accomplished. The real evening could then commence.

Gleefully, the raven was not to be kept waiting for long once both were in the vicinity of their bedroom.

Just at the door to it, he felt a hand drop onto his shoulder, and the other snaked around to clutch at his left hand, unfolding his fingers for show.

A single, plain golden band orbited the fourth finger and had for some time. Even so, Kazunari could understand the other's desire to look at it. It stirred up his sentimentality pretty hard too, thinking about how long they'd been together. Twelve years in friendship, and eleven in partnership. As for the rings and all that jazz, well, his devoted lover had given that to him a little over four years ago.

Initially, he'd been resistant to the idea of being "married" as it was first and foremost not even a real thing in Japan, at least not for two guys, and secondly, because settling down like that made him need to think real hard. With as intensely and passionately as he'd gotten caught up in Shintarou those many years, they'd never had anyone else, never experienced anything outside of each other.

It's not like Takao wanted to, not like he grew a sudden urge for breaking their monogamy or anything, but, shit. Most people had at least had _one_ other boyfriend/girlfriend before they shackled up with a person in marriage. That was the normal course in life. Was it even okay to skip right over that and join himself to Midorima so boldly?

He'd expressed this concern rather ineloquently. Something along the lines of, was the green-haired doctor sure he didn't want to try someone else first before asking him that question?

At that point, he'd been informed, with seriousness you just couldn't scoff at, "Cancers can tell from the first date whether that person is someone they can see themselves with for the long-term. I believe we've had a sufficient enough amount of dates to do the same, unless you doubt the accuracy of my instinct." Midorima's striking green eyes had pierced him through then, and that was the end of any resistance.

Kazunari believed he'd stuttered out a sheepish "N-no" before having the decency to agree to the proposal at long last.

It was just, he had felt it was right to offer that out. Because, despite their prospective union not even being legal in the country, Takao was the sort of man to be totally loyal to it once he'd made that bond. The day Shin-chan and him were ever married, ordained or not, was the last day of being single for the remainder of his life. It was probably clingy of him, but he felt that he'd like nothing more than to hold the other's hand even till the moment they died.

In the end though, it was useful to have a ring on his finger. Helped fend off most of the would-be suitors, especially in Midorima's case. A community of medical workers is like being around people at a wedding. Everyone's desperate to hook up, and you can bet your shirt that the top catch on the food chain would be snagging a doctor to get hitched with. The less available his "husband" looked, the better, for his sake.

The hand clutching his squeezed around it once and used the newfound grip from behind to steer Kazunari further into the depths of the darkened bedroom. Shadows molded to the four walls surrounding them, and both could only just begin to make out each other's outline, even pressed this closely together. Darkness was not what either wanted though; they wanted to see every inch.

Awkwardly the duo shuffled closer to the western-style bed at one side, and Takao fumbled for the cord for the lamp. Several failures later, he managed to spark the device into life, giving just enough light to make this cozy.

With the quiet, yet intense way Midorima was already treating him, the raven could guess that his lover had been looking forward to this for a while. Shin-chan was so cutely focused on getting him where he wanted that it was kinda obvious. Normally the man was content to draw things out, but if fast and dirty was what he was looking for, Takao sure as hell wasn't about to deny him that. Actually, that made it a lot of fun.

Standing there, he could hear the other's breathing close at hand, and he felt it keenly when a mouth pressed openly against the nape of his neck, wet and hot and tantalizing. A faint ripple coursed his spine, ardor already beginning to pool deep within him. Teeth harshly marked at the tenderest points of his flesh, leaving a trail as Midorima began to work down to his shoulder. Takao brought his hands up, rapidly unbuttoning his shirt in order for it to be pushed away easier.

"Go ahead, mark me up," Kazunari moaned lightly. Encouraging the strong hands girding his hips to fashion a strict hold, keeping him in place as the doctor rutted tentatively against the inviting surface of his ass. Pressing in ever so deliciously as to send the blood running straight for the smaller's nether regions. As it was, he was raring for a much more intimate brush, but, humble beginnings did suffice.

Without difficulty, shirts and jackets were removed for both in the next few moments, and the raven had jettisoned his bottoms as well, moving quickly as to engender the sensation he craved. He flopped unceremoniously onto the bed, beckoning Shintarou to join him with a coy, "Come on now, Shin-chan, it's time to play a little."

**. . . . .**

"You taste... good," he informed him, moving his tongue to rim the entrance with short, persistent licks.

He could feel the flesh tense and twitch under his ministrations, and his cock bulged within his briefs, viscerally demanding a share in the tight seal. That was what Midorima was finding to be his largest problem right now. Full of excitement as he was, he simply did not know where to expend his energy first. Luckily for him, his lover was no blushing maiden, and quite easily the kick in his pants, both now, and generally in life.

"Just put it in!" the raven called loud and clear from where he was hiding his head in the mattress. "Stop playing around and take me with your tongue!"

"As you wish."

He inserted his tongue into the warm cavern, and promptly was lost in the act. Kazunari was not only wet, but slick with the delicious taste of arousal, his insides stretching perfectly to allow the intrusion. Midorima almost felt as if he was a presence in the man's body, feeling the penetration for himself, and the pleasure it sent tumbling through every lower nerve ending in the pelvis. The sore but titillating stretch of his preparing, and he could almost sense the hum of excitement building in his partner as the blessed time drew nearer.

The wet slurping sounds he was causing titillated even him.

"Shin-ta-rou," Takao's voice came out in bursts as he captured enough breath to allow the syllables to slip through, "I have to touch it. It's gotten so hard for you. Oh fuck you're going to make me cum just from your tongue... Show me how good I taste, oh fuck fuck _fuck_..."

The slicking noise was loudly audible as Kazunari masturbated in front of him, a dazed quality to the man's intermittent moans. His hips rocked forward as he pumped his aching prick, drawing his fingers rapidly around the throbbing stem and then back up to squeeze at the very apex of his sex. His hand was only an accompaniment to the delightful piercing of the other's lingual muscle, but if he didn't stroke himself along the journey, he felt like he would've gone mad with pent up lust.

However, these waves of motion were distracting to where Shintarou had to grab the raven by his hips to steady him as he pushed his tongue fervently into his hole, wet muscle swiping at at anything he could reach. Kazunari was flooding all of his heightened senses, clouding him with intensified arousal. The only improvement possible would be being able to see the other getting off before him.

With the constant flow of cursing making up their soundtrack, such a goal seemed within reach.

Midorima flicked his tongue, beating the tip repetitively against his lover's heated walls, striking where he surmised it felt best. This was proving more difficult though, the enticing passage tangibly closing in on him as Kazunari spiraled closer and closer toward oblivion. In a stroke of sudden inspiration, he slipped one hand underneath, gathering his palm to caress the raven's heated sac, and it took only a few calculated rolls to help the other over the brink.

A strangled call vibrated mercilessly within the corridor of Takao's throat, his fingers suddenly smattered with a silken array of fluid. Oh but it felt _good_. So good that he never wanted to stop; that was his dearest wish.

Shintarou abruptly turned his limp form and flipped him on his back. Staring at the masterpiece the younger man remained, even with his own cum painting his lower abdomen.

He sat on his knees between Kazunari's legs and tugged down his clinging briefs, exposing his own towering length. His cock was then fully on display, red, pulsing, and slick with wetness as it was. The raven's sharp eyes viewed him without any guise of subtlety, and he blushed at the keen attention. This man had a special talent for making him feel weak at the knees, as disconcerting as it was. Even so, it kind of turned him on at the same time, being made to feel like some sort of stunning individual in Kazunari's eyes. So long as he was the only one receiving that affection, he could bear with it even if the raven's words sometimes pushed him out of his comfort zone.

"The main course I really wanted tonight," Takao commented coquettishly, grinning. "You'll let me have it now, won't you, Shin-chan? All of it?"

He reached up with both arms, pulling the doctor to lay on top of him. Kazunari's legs curled around the older male, anchoring him in place.

Their mouths met instinctively, opening up with no reservations to feel the other's presence, taste blending with foreign taste, contours being explored. He marveled at how soft Midorima's tongue was on his as they rubbed together, and how tremendously moving it was to be laying so close to the love of his life. Shintarou's flavor was there, and his scent was palpable too, dual fiery spice and cleansing earth.

Such small boons, and yet his body grew content by the very notion of them. Takao wanted all of the one that he loved, but for a while at the beginning of knowing the green-haired male, he had survived on just those scraps, piecing them together as patches of hope that one day Midorima would look upon him with the eyes of more than a companion and team mate. It was true that to be enamored of someone you could call your best friend was one of the greater ways of love, but it had taken time to reach that romantic stage for them, back in high school.

He pushed his hand higher, tightening his grasp into the man's rich, silky teal locks, holding on for dear life. The other stroked the side of Shintarou's face, fingers dancing over the shape of his furrowed brow, following the firm, angled path of his jaw, worshiping soft skin of the visage that he so adored beholding.

Their foreheads bumped and stayed flush against one another for a moment, catching their mutual breaths. In those treasured seconds he felt kindred warmth, and his heart heaved, almost to burst from pure fulfillment. Why was it that in affection that the soul still pained sometimes, even when one's desires are granted? Is it from shock, perhaps, at attainment? A pessimistic strike from a shadowy corner of one's brain, warning that it cannot last? Aching from astonishment at the pure joy of that idyllic moment?

He arched up toward Shintarou, shifting underneath him in a motion that did little to soothe the doctor's raging arousal. Midorima began to move of his own accord, rubbing carefully in tandem with his lover in a way that threatened to make him breathless if they kept it up for too much longer. He wanted desperately to claim the man, but this was rather nice as well, feeling the friction and the full warmth of Kazunari's skin pressed against his.

Takao nudged the other by digging his heels into Midorima's back, and for a moment they fumbled, trying to find the easiest way to do this without breaking completely apart.

It was difficult, both refusing to really let go, but with some ingenuity the elder pulled sightly away, reaching between them to hold his cock as he pressed it against his husband's entrance, feeling a shudder starting up as he felt how tense it was even when he hadn't tried to move forward yet.

Shintarou could hear Kazunari's deep, calming breaths as he waited, knowing the hardest bit was coming soon. Finally, he had to just grit his teeth and do it. They were both aware of how it would feel after a long period of not being able to be intimate, but sitting around agonizing about it was going to get them nowhere quick.

He slipped in the tip, Kazunari's tight rings of muscle choking around him as he tried to push past. His lips pursed in concentration, and he watched the raven's expressions as he shoved forward, slowly encasing himself deeper by the seconds until there was no more length to give. It was then that Midorima paused, eyes fluttering slightly behind his lenses and body twitching eagerly, waiting for the discomfort to eke itself from Takao's small grimace.

"Oh gods, Shin-chan."

That was all the man could seem to say. His slate eyes were bright with emotion, and Midorima felt that he understood what was running through his lover's mind at the time that he spoke the words. Beyond the pleasure, just the weighty feeling of connecting, that he was becoming one with Takao in that primal way was heady for the resident - he could not begin to cognitively fathom it, yet he was doing it.

The green-haired stooped, dropping a feather-soft kiss on Kazunari's forehead.

"I love you," he stated with conviction, a shy blush creeping to his cheeks though from the sentimentality of it all.

"I feel it, too," was the returning murmur, "You don't even have to tell me or anything-not that I don't enjoy hearing that."

"Very well." Teal eyes gazed elsewhere, uncertain. This atmosphere was far heavier than he'd predicted for when he spoke his feelings aloud.

"Shin-chan, I love you as well. Very much so."

"...This sort of act shouldn't go on, otherwise." A serious man's attempt at humor, but the dark-haired male found it charming enough.

"We're a bit involved to stop now," Takao teased. He pushed back against Midorima the best that he could from his position, forcing a short stroke that sent pleasure ricocheting up the former miracle's length. The sensation made him pay the man in kind instinctively, drawing back before thrusting forward.

A groan emitted from Kazunari as his lover finally started moving in earnest, punctuating him with short, shallow snaps of his hips, cock sliding snugly within his heated depths. It was strangely intense for the younger male, a more worthy ecstasy than he had felt in his solo explorations during the times they didn't get to see each other within the week. There was no shame involved in their lovemaking, only a beautiful cluster of emotions, and now, that dull, stretching that was rendered immune when Midorima brushed against his seat of pleasure.

He wiggled in line with Shintarou, and gathered his legs closer around the other, restricting his movement to the stark pace that seemed best aimed at his pleasure, and thankfully also seemed enticing for Midorima, too.

Takao kissed him passionately, feeling heat creep up into his face and his breaths beginning to come harder-fought. He wasn't embarrassed, no, but the press of their bodies against one another, and their hot breath titillating each other's skin was starting to take its toll. The heat was sort of dizzying, pleasure at the background as his beloved moved inside of him again, and again, and again, joining their souls in physical form.

He stroked down Midorima's chest, thumb sliding inferiorly along the hardened muscular plane until he located his target. Rubbing fervidly at the rigid bud, he heard a purr crackle to life in Shintarou's throaty tones, sounding needy, and Kazunari delighted in yet another way he could play with his tsundere. He rather enjoyed hearing the man call out for him in such a manner, and knew he would endeavor to find all the possibilities of achieving that, no matter how long it took him.

"Faster, Shin**-**"

Serendipitously, an urgent yell of ecstasy tore itself from Kazunari's throat. He thrashed wildly against Shintarou in his oncoming moment, cheeks burning with pure euphoria as the other hammered hard into his ass, delivering him precisely what he desired. He climaxed furiously, multiple loads of spurt spilling back onto his chest, flooding him in pearly streaks, one after the next. He could have sworn he saw stars.

Mere moments later, the other explosively followed him into the abyss.

* * *

**. . . Akashi . . .**

* * *

Akashi worked a rather leisurely schedule in most people's estimation. Three days per week - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays - for only four hours each day, making a grand total of twelve hours each week. Anything further than that was over-time, and not usually exercised. He wasn't so sloppy at his job as to have to come crawling back into the office very often. If he did, that was almost certainly due to the fault of some party other than himself.

This was not to say the man wasn't constantly focused on his goals. No, Seijirou worked outside of the place, and for much more strenuous hours than twelve per week. Twelve hours a _day_ scarcely made an impact, in his opinion, no matter your profession. Laziness would win no battles.

Currently though, his attention was focused more on pleasure than business. He was situated comfortably in the lush gardens of a social club in the city center, his spot permitting the warming rays of sunshine to engulf his body whole. Fresh off a victorious morning of shogi matches, it was now the time he enjoyed most during a day off - quiet time and re-organization. If he didn't take a little moment to make sure all of his projects were running smoothly, he became clouded by anxiety that easily translated to anger.

The campaign he was working on at the office he'd already phoned in about, and so the next course of action was to move from his personal sphere and find out what the rest of the world was doing. The easiest method was going through the newspaper, and that's what he was engaged in now.

Perusing the paper's financial component, Akashi made a quick sweep through the stocks section, checking the virility of his own company as well as that of a few worthy rivals. Gathering all the information possible on your foes gave you the advantage when facing them in battle. Thus far, however, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They were on top, as they ever were, while the three or four other corporations nearing their status were leapfrogging each other for second place. When his asymmetrical gaze landed further down the list though, Akashi was forced to halt.

Sitting in a mediocre throne of seventh place was a company whose name he was used to seeing much, much farther down the rankings. Juxtaposing today's rank with that of what it had been in the past, he frowned, lips turning down minutely at each corner. The business had experienced an unprecedented leap from being a mid-20 ranked company to seventh, closely trailing some of the more superior corporations out there, including Seijirou's own holdings.

The Deshima Corporation. _Hmm_.

Seijirou let the newspaper drop onto the table below, the missive floating awkwardly in its descent. He buckled down to analyze the findings. Such an enormous jump in prosperity was suspicious. If he couldn't track down the cause of such a rise, that would be even more curious. Pulling the notebook at his side before him, the crimson-haired executive grasped a pen in hand and began to jot down a few of the thoughts filling his brain.

First and foremost, look at what the corporation produced. Deshima Corp. was a scientific enterprise that concerned itself mainly with electronics and had created a legion of helpful devices used both in the average consumer's home as well as for professionals in a variety of careers. It wasn't absurd that something like that could generate a lofty profit, but the rapid nature of them rising the charts suggested otherwise. The redhead carefully considered, now moving forward to what he knew about Deshima's current ventures.

The latest news he was privy to was a few months ago, when numerous job postings had gone out all at once, looking for test subjects for some confidential experiment. That was all that had been public. What additional information Seijirou had was limited. He only knew that Deshima was focusing its energy on a product they were planning to shop around to the government in hopes of winning a lucrative contract. That was all he had as far as facts. To figure out the exact thing the company was developing, he'd have to rely on his deduction skills.

What sort of invention, or even technology could an electronics firm offer the government, the military perhaps?

The swarm of answers that came flooding through his consciousness were aggravating.

Akashi placed two fingers high enough to pinch the bridge of his nose, feeling his choler beginning to spark. It wasn't time to become enraged though. He'd save that emotion for later. Yes, it was not something he relished, having little control over an aspect of his life, even if it was small, but he could deal with it. At least until he found a way to conquer whatever it was bothering him.

"Forgive me for intruding, Akashi-sama, but would you like any more to drink?"

Peeling his concentration from his ledger, the man examined the server waiting cautiously a good step or three from his table. A proper distance was maintained and the teen's head was bowed toward the direction of the ground, not daring to take the risk of meeting the elder's gaze. As it should be, truthfully. The wait staff at this establishment had quickly learned of the dark-natured executive's rules when he began coming here. There had been no need for any reprimands thus far.

"I shall have another glass of this. You may approach to take away the old one." He lightly touched the first two fingers of his left hand to the glass' rim, indicating his order.

"Of course si-"

The dutiful response was marred as an undignified whoop resounded throughout the courtyard garden, ringing through both their ears and disturbing the peaceful atmosphere.

Turning his head stiffly, Seijirou narrowly searched for the source of the irritation, free hand twitching in and out of a casual fist. It was precisely this sort of thing that he was looking to avoid by coming here, precisely that sort of noise, that sort of annoyance at having his private time interrupted... whomever was at fault would need to answer to him before they departed.

His mismatched gaze circled around the exterior of the club, noting the dotting of society's most brilliant here and there. Most of the patrons at this hour of a weekday were predictable - trophy wives and retired moguls no longer needing to work for their keep. A few of the others seemed bewildered, or fractionally as annoyed as himself, so they were crossed off the list of culprits. Eventually though, he located the correct one.

In one far corner, seated behind a row of bamboo sat a male in his early forties with ash brown hair and thick-rimmed glasses. At the table with him, a much younger female - traditional ebony hair that flowed in the wind and vivid red lips. A well-pedigreed beauty with a large sum to inherit. That was relative, of course, to the average bridal candidate in the country. Around this district, she was a financial small fry, but her looks helped to close the gap somewhat.

The man in question had been the person causing the commotion as, even now, he seemed to be bouncing up and down in his seat in a manner totally unfitting to someone of his age or stature. Akashi's frown morphed to a blank expression as he turned his mind onto what triviality would have brought the other to call out. The truth was, he had observed these two long before today. On a multitude of occasions.

That was why what he was seeing concerned him so intensely. People could sometimes be fickle or sometimes be extreme in the pursuit of love, but this tested the limits of what Seijirou was willing to believe.

On so many days prior, that man had tried to court the woman, only she resisted him at every turn. These rejections had several times ended with him having to be escorted from the premises for his vengeful behavior afterward. The reason he hadn't been banned from the club was money. Cover enough of a fee to atone for what he'd done and the owners would allow him to keep his membership. As for her, she was the sort of person too prideful to be driven from a place she liked because of one moronic attendee. Their various skirmishes provided a distasteful side attraction that sometimes played out right before Akashi's eyes.

Currently, the two were in fact holding hands, exchanging a doting gaze akin to that of newlyweds. It was sickening and also impossible.

He couldn't say why it was impacting his thoughts to this magnitude, but the more he examined the scene laid out before him, the more his brooding air deepened. For now he couldn't put a finger on why the two would have come together so easily, but it didn't feel like the compulsion from any innocent reason imaginable. Almost as if the duo were brainwashed. A ridiculous notion, but perhaps not.

If anything, Akashi would need to investigate further to satisfy his own petty curiosity. The connection inherent between this couple and the other mystery presented to his attention today did not go missed by the crimson-haired male. After all, being that his knowledge of his surrounding patrons was flawless, he remembered that the man was in fact employed by the Deshima Corporation.

Such coincidences couldn't be tossed aside easily.

* * *

**A/N: Please let me know what you thought of the chapter in a review! I appreciate every one I get, even if it's just a word or two long.**

_STORY NOTES-_

This fic starts off fairly light-hearted, but I'm afraid as the plot unravels, **it will have some darker moments.** If that's not your cup of tea, just be forewarned. Also, you will be seeing multiple pairings, or the story will reveal that certain people dated in the past. I hope this won't be offensive to you either. If you would like to know which pairings will occur, you can **message me** and I'll just let you know (since I realize that people sometimes only want to read for their favorites).

In this, Kuroko, Kagami, and the rest of the GoM are age 28. Any other characters that appear in the story (e.g. Kasamatsu) retain their original age difference, so with all those characters being 28, Kasamatsu would be 30. So on and so forth. Generally speaking, I took everyone's jobs from what they are in the Characters' Bible. Akashi is the only one who is different since he went into business. I just tweaked Midorima's a little bit – most fics I see have him being a surgeon or family practice doctor. I have him as a radiologist.


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